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Living Aboard

I know we have discussed this a bit on the old forum, but want to bring it up again because now I'm thinking about making the change.......and we could use a new topic or two hear. We're to the point we hate leaving the boat Sun night and spend all week looking forward to getting back. We try to sneak away Thurs evening when possible. She is off Fridays and I'm self employed, as long as I have phone and email I'm good. So here we are.
We are thinking about a larger aluminum boat, currently looking at a Jamestowner 16 x 67 and a Horizon 17 x 87. I have to say I'm a bit worried about whether we can even heat these things in the Indiana Winter. Although if it's like last year, no worries. We currently have 3 live aboard's in the marina, all in fiberglass boats. I believe I already have water and sewage issues handled, but would certainly appreciate any and all other thoughts, advice, considerations, etc.

I would think heating it would be easier than cooling it. However, at what cost? As nice as these boats are, they aren't usually insulated very well. Also, do you enjoy being on the boat or being on the boat with a bunch of other friends and neighbors around on your dock? Personally, I LOVE spending time on my boat but part of that is the social aspect of all the neighbors etc. I wouldn't want to be on there 24/7 during the winter. Granted, that is just me. We are sort of spoiled though since we live less than a 5 minute drive from out boat so can sneak out there for a few hours as much as we want. Southern climates, I could see myself living aboard. Northern (I'm in Iowa), I could not.

We went to our boat nearly every weekend this last winter. All I can say is find a boat that has a full insulation package! You don't know the meaing of the word "drafty" until you're in an uninsulated boat with single-pane windows when it's in the single digits outside! I could hear my heater saying "I think I can! I think I can! I thing I can!"

Yup Gets almighty COLD in the winter without insulation and single pane windows. I added some ceiling insulation where I could and I put the plastic you can get at Lowes over the windows. Made it nice down into the thirties, then it is a sliding scale that quickly plummets to uncomfortable.